I’m keeping this brief because I’m getting a little tired of being on my laptop, phone, ipad. In fact, I even bought this “Tray” that sits across the bathtub so I can take my laptop in the bath with me, watch a movie or work and then I was like “Seriously? Can I not go anywhere in my house without having a device with me?”. That, and I also knocked my laptop into the bathtub trying to get out of the bath and hitting the tray with my knee. Yup, I’m that moron.
We’re all staring at screens even more now. I don’t even want to look at my iphone stats at this point, much less my kids.
Let’s not freak out about it though.
The evidence directly linking children’s screen time to cognitive and social harm seems, in reality, to be paper thin. I’m not concerned about failing parenting. For adults, I have no idea.
This whole quarantine thing has us in unchartered waters and doing what we need to do to get by.
If you gave me the choice between continuing to work from home, take more zoom calls, be on my laptop more or be in an office staring at dual monitors, in my car and running around town from meeting to meeting, I’ll take this every time.
Video games, snap chat, online school, virtual club and organization meetings and happy hours are what we’ve got right now. Fitness classes, cooking classes, Instagram stories and shopping are coming to you straight thru whatever device you’re using.
Depending on where you are and what your restrictions and limitations are you may or may not be able to step away from the screen as much. I’m not saying it’s a bad or good thing either. It’s just a thing. Now, it’s about learning how to navigate it.
One thing I’ve noticed is that if you set up a zoom or call with someone; they actually show up. And on time! In the “former” sales and office world you’d set up calls, meetings, drive across town or even walk across your office to see a colleague and you’d be kept waiting, they’d call and cancel when you’re half way there, they wouldn’t even be where they said they’d be or you’d call them at the time you agreed to and it’d go straight to voicemail 3x in a row. That shit drives me crazy.
In looking at screen time, it’s no different than any other area of life where we seek “balance”. Nutrition, fitness, work, family and now screen.
It’s quality over quantity. It’s “How” you are using technology. Too much of a good thing is never a good thing.
Here’s how I break it down:
Time using a screen
Quality of screen content
Who you use a screen with
If I’m on my laptop writing this blog or working on my book; that’s good. If I’m reading crap in The NY Post (why can’t I stop reading that rag?); that’s bad.
If I’ve had 4 online client calls and two inter office zoom meetings; that’s good. If I’m on my third “Happy Hour” of the day; that’s bad.
Be intentional about taking breaks and encouraging breaks for your family.
Sometimes we just lose track of how long our kids are upstairs…Confession, sometimes I know exactly how long they’ve been upstairs and I just enjoy the peace…
I set breaks every two hours. I don’t want to sit for longer than that. Get up, get moving, do something different.
Everyone has their own take on this and mine is pretty simple. If it’s making you happy, easier to cope with whatever you’re dealing with, you’re feeling positive and productive then ok, go with it. If you’re feeling pressured to be online, busy, over stimulated, sedentary and drained, step away from the screen for a while.
In Health – G
